I have visited Atlanta’s Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant a few times for events, but I never had a chance to indulge in their food. It was always a sip of a creamy Guinness Stout or what have you in the spirit of Ireland, but last night made me an official fan! Fadó; Tower Wine, Beer & Spirits; and Anheuser-Busch InBev presented a “Euro Beer” dinner. Held in the revitalizing posh district of Buckhead, the sold-out dining event surrounded by authentic Irish pub décor presented four courses of delicious fare coupled with some of the most world-renowned brews that are all under the AB/In-Bev umbrella.
Here is what I had. Again, the food was totally on point, and the refreshing ales and lager (Stella) that cleverly complemented each dish made the entire dinner a success. This was all for $45 and it was worth every penny.
Course #1: BBQ applewood-smoked shrimp over colcannon mashed potatoes served with veggie slaw and paired with Bass Ale.
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| Course #1 |
The nuttiness of the Bass Ale paired nicely with the smokiness of the shrimp. I am not huge a consumer of pork, but the bacon they used was cooked well, sweet and justified my once-in-a-while intake. Plus, the colcannon mashed potatoes (which is traditionally prepared with cabbage or kale; scallions; butter; salt and pepper) and a housemade slaw brought a number of physical textures and flavors in the mouth that collectively worked in all facets of gastronomy. It was the perfect beginning!
Course #2: Summer strawberry spinach salad paired with Stella Artois
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| Course #2 |
This salad was nice palate cleanser made with fresh spinach and refreshing ripe strawberries to go with one of my favorite mass-distributed lagers, Stella Artois. Stella also does some brilliant marketing with their glassware, presentation and other accompanying paraphernalia.
Course #3: Blackened chicken and shrimp with tomatoes and mushrooms in a spicy cheese sauce wrapped in traditional Irish boxty served with a side of summer vegetables and paired with Leffe Blonde
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| Course #3 |
This one blew me away. The Irish “boxty” was like a grilled crepe with a tad of sweetness, wrapped around an awesome combination of shrimp, grilled chicken, just enough veggies and sharp cheese. The fruity, crisp, and potent Leffe Blonde from Belgium was a great choice to balance out this dish. This one was my favorite course by a nose.
Course #4: Eve’s Pudding made with sweet and tart rhubarb baked in a sugar cookie crust served with vanilla ice cream, mint and rhubarb syrup and paired with Hoegaarden.
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| Course #4 |
Dessert is usually skipped so that I can stay in some kind of shape, but daaaaaaamn! This delectable dish complete with the creamy vanilla ice cream, mouth-watering crust and rhubarb tartness high-fived the citrusy Hoegaarden (pronounced who-garden, folks!) perfectly. The mint on top said "Mwwwwwah" with a kiss. Great teamwork!
Walking out with a gold-rimmed Stella glass and its slick-designed recipe/pouring instruction book in hand as a gift, everyone was content, full and smiling ear to ear. That’s me, included. This evening rocked!
Shout outs go to the Fadó family; Cindy and Travis from AB; and Gregg from Tower who made sure everyone had a blast. Mission accomplished!
